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hello to you all; new member
Topic Started: 5 Oct 2006, 10:51 PM (311 Views)
guitardaveb
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:D hello to all - i am just starting out in the world of ride on railways after starting in 45mm - so any help and advice would be greatly appreciated - i don't have the room to put down any track but i will be running my stock (when purchased or built ) round my local mes track - 7 1/4" -
my web site - www.themapleway.com
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colinpeake
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Hi Dave,

Welcome to the forum, I hope you can find some inspiration within our pages!

Colin
Colin Peake
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My blog: O9 Modeller
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guitardaveb
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:ph43r: thanks - inspiration isn't something i lack - cash ,however, is a different story- !!!! ho ho
my web site - www.themapleway.com
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ilvaporista
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Tell me about lack of cash... I have built about 7 battery electric locos without much cash and out of strange materials, but they all worked and gave much enjoyment.

The quickest and cheapest was built in a weekend from plywood frames, one sprung axle, bearings from nylon rod, hornbolcks from bakerlite running directly in the plywood frames. Wheels from aluminium pulleys. All material was purchased at car boot sales or junk boxes at shows. The motor was a winscreen wiper motor from a Ford Transit. The type which has the operating crank outside the body, this went via a toothed belt reduction to the rear wheels. It worked OK but then started slipping. It was later replaced by a chain drive reduction using sprockets and chain from a morotcycle engine to the rear axle. To increase pulling power and reduce slipping the front and rear axles were coupled together using bicycle chain and sprockets.

It was known as Rufty Tufty (mark 1) and lasted for three years intensive use with no maintenence, no painting and prey to parties of kids running it up and down.
Speed control was through a stud system energising resistance coils using wire from electric fire elements but that later got replaced by a home built electronic controller from a circuit in ME.

Total cost was about £15 at the time which included 11.99 for the battery... The replacement controller cost £6 in materials.

At the end it fell apart but in the meantime I had built another two more robust locos that are still going strong. They were run on our GB&SBR Garden Railway.
The polite version is the Guildford, Elstead and South Bourne Railway but more commonly known as the Grazed Elbow and Sore Bum Railway due to tight clearances and unsprung passenger cars. It is still there under the weeds in my parents garden and comes out every year when we take the family back to the UK. Rufty Tufty Mark 2 still hauls the trains but this year the battery expired and the cheapest new one I could find was £54 so the kids just pushed each other up and down and still enjoyed themselves.


Steam locos are more expensive but if you look around you can build one as well. Being a member of an MES certainly helps and I am sure you will get a lot of advice.

Adrian Parker
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peterbryant
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Hi Dave

Welcome to MRW Forums! Hope you have a great time here. :) I'm sure as Adrian said there is someway of building locos for not much.

We've got a 16mm garden railway with Carrie and Billy! I do the Yorkshire Gorup website.

Peter
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